LA Angels: Could Mike Scioscia Be the Next to Go in the Albert Pujols Regime?

The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim fired hitting coach Mickey Hatcher on Tuesday, and Mark Saxon of ESPNLosAngeles.com reports that it is because the front office was just frustrated of seeing Albert Pujols struggle.

Hatcher, one of manager Mike Scioscia's very good friends and longtime teammates, likely met his fate at the hands of either owner Arte Moreno or general manager Jerry DiPoto (via Saxon).

Even though the firing came after a game that saw the team collect 12 hits, Hatcher's lineup has been shut out a major-league-leading eight times.

Pujols has had the most documented struggles, hitting just .212/.248/.288 with one home run, 14 RBI and only eight doubles entering play on Wednesday.

Needless to say, that is not what the Angels paid him $240 million over 10 years to do.

The Angels paid Pujols to help build a championship-caliber team in Anaheim—er, Los Angeles—and his sluggish start has had a large impact on the team's record of 16-21 (entering play on Wednesday).

Yes, the rest of the offense has struggled as well, but that doesn't mean that most of the blame can't be placed on Pujols.

Or, if you're the Angels' front office, you could choose to put the blame on the skipper.

Scioscia has been the Angels' manager since 2000 and delivered the team its first ever World Series championship in 2002 (Hatcher was the hitting coach then—just sayin').

That being said, his team has not delivered so far in 2012. Analysts, fans and likely other general managers tabbed the Angels as legitimate contenders after signing both Pujols and C.J. Wilson this offseason, but saying that they have yet to live up to expectations is an understatement.

The front office already overreacted by firing Hatcher, so could the dismissal of Scioscia be next?

The Angels have been Scioscia's team since 2000, but now, after just a month-and-a-half, it has quickly evolved into Pujols' team.

After committing that much money to a guy, I guess that makes sense.

If the front office was smart, it would keep Scioscia with the team.

Pujols' performance is pretty much calling the shots at this point, though, so the status of essentially the entire coaching staff may just be up in the air—yes, bullpen catcher included.